Douglas M. Costle
Douglas M. Costle | |
---|---|
3rd Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency | |
In office March 7, 1977 – January 20, 1981 | |
President | Jimmy Carter |
Deputy | Barbara Blum |
Preceded by | Russell E. Train |
Succeeded by | Anne Gorsuch Burford |
Personal details | |
Born | Douglas Michael Costle July 27, 1939 Long Beach, California, U.S. |
Died | January 13, 2019 McLean, Virginia, U.S. | (aged 79)
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse | Elizabeth Costle |
Children | 2 |
Education | Harvard University (BA) University of Chicago (JD) |
Douglas Michael Costle (July 27, 1939 – January 13, 2019) was one of the architects of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and he subsequently served President Jimmy Carter as EPA Administrator from 1977 to 1981.
Early life and education
Costle was born on July 27, 1939, in Long Beach, California, but he grew up in the Pacific Northwest. His early experiences there, including fishing, shaped his awareness of the need for environmental protections.
Costle received a B.A. from Harvard University in 1961, and a J.D. from the University of Chicago Law School in 1964. He became a member of the bar in Washington, D.C., and in California. Costle also served in the United States Army Reserve, working in military intelligence.
Costle was married to wife Elizabeth and the couple have two children.
Early career
During the summer of 1963, Costle worked with the
From 1964 to 1965, Costle was a trial
From 1965 to 1967, he was an attorney for the
Prior to the creation of the EPA in 1970, Costle headed the study which recommended its creation when he served as Senior Staff Associate, Environmental and Natural Resources, for the President's Advisory Council on Executive Organization.[1]
In 1971, Costle was a Fellow of the
Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency
In 1977, U.S. President Jimmy Carter appointed Costle as Administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, a position in which he served until 1981. As EPA administrator, Costle chaired the U.S. Regulatory Council and was President Carter's representative to NATO's Committee on the Challenges to a Modern Society and the United States chair of the U.S./U.S.S.R. Joint Committee on Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Protection. He also served as the chair of the U.S./People's Republic of China Environmental Protection Protocol.
Subsequent career
Costle served as dean of the
Costle vied for Vermont's Democratic Party nomination to the United States Senate in 1994, losing in a primary to Jan Backus.
Death
Costle died on January 13, 2019, at his home in McLean, Virginia, of complications from a stroke. He was 79-years-old.[2]
References
- ^ Elkins, Chuck (October 2013). "Transcript of "Behind the Scenes at the Creation of the EPA" Video" (PDF). EPA Alumni Association. Retrieved August 20, 2018.
- ^ Schudel, Matt (January 18, 2019). "Douglas Costle, an architect of the EPA who became its top administrator, dies at 79". Washington Post. Retrieved January 18, 2019.